A FRESH bid for European Union money is being made as part of an ambitious plan to further develop a centre for cutting edge technologies in North Wales.

Glyndr University says an outline proposal has been submitted to the Welsh Assembly Government for the project at Technium OpTIC on St Asaph Business Park.

Established five years ago, OpTIC has acted as a hub for the development of the opto-electronics industry in Wales, helping create new businesses and jobs. But there is a pressing need now for more space to enable new technologies being developed at the OpTIC to be scaled up towards commercial application.

Professor Mike Scott, the university’s vice-chancellor said a proposal had been drawn up for the next stage of development of operations at the St Asaph-based technium.

“It is a notice to government to say we are going to make a new application for funding from the Convergence programme for the second phase of OpTIC,” he said.

“What we are doing is talking to the government about what we consider to be the masterplan for OpTIC and what the university wants to do there.”

Previous estimates of a second stage development of OpTIC suggested that well over £20m would be needed. If the outline fits into the Convergence programme’s overall strategic framework then the Welsh European Funding Office is likely to invite the university to develop a more detailed proposal.

EU funds from the predecessor Objective 1 programme were used towards the £16m cost of OpTIC which has specialised in opto-electronics and other technologies such as ultra-precision surfaces and electricity generation from solar power.

Land has been earmarked on the business park alongside OpTIC for one or more new buildings that would develop emerging technologies up to commercial production, creating jobs and pumping more wealth into the regional economy. The university took over the running of OpTIC in March.

Vale of Clwyd MP Chris Ruane said: “European investment has been essential in getting not only OpTIC but also St Asaph Business Park up and running.

“Green energy will be a huge growth industry over the coming years and it is essential that North Wales leads the way on this. With OpTIC, we can.”